METHODIST UNION.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1644, 10 January 1913, Page 6

METHODIST UNION.

AN AUTONOMOU6 CHURCH. FIRST UNITED CONFERENCE, An important pliase in tho ecclonlasticlil ? kisfcory of New Zealand is approaching ° ts climax in tho consummation'of uniou tetween tho Methodist Church and Primi- r< ivo Methodist. Church (says tho Auckant| "Herald"). Tho united body will bo T . ciiown as "Tho Methodist Church of New Jealaiul," and in all important matters vill • 1)0 autonomous; .and independent. Ministers and'laymen of the two churches ,vill assemble in united conference in Woiington on February 6, and-that 'evening y ihe bond of union will bo bigned- at a f public gathering in the Town Hall. <1 Though enjoying a..'liberal freedom in I tho- administration Of- its own affairs, tho f Mothodist' Church in' New,, Zealand', has v seen a component part of thii Australasian s Church, and subject to the legislation of t tho General Conference, on which it has i liad representation. Negotiations towards (J ;ecuring~tlio independence of the Church a in New .Zealand have been proceeding for 1 ibout. thrco years.' They produced definite results last year, when independence was sought arid granted, and special legislation was obtained from the several Anatralian and Nejr Zealand Parliaments ; sanctioning the chango". ; r : Tho independence of tho Churchi dates | actually from' January 1,; The president ( of tlvo Npw Zealand Conference (the Rev. i W. Ready,''of'the -Pitt Street Methodist j Church) hns just received a letter from tho president of' the General Conference [the Rev.vH. stating that tho'deed of independence has been-signed; ,: tho Gazette notices aro being published, , and from January 1 the Church in New ' Zealand is', independent, of the Church in ; Australia, 1 . Dr. YYoungman - expressed a : hope in his letter that tho change may be j the beginning'of: a new era of power, and blessing. '! , '. i ; ;. ■ • •. A wider independence has been possessed by the Primitive, Methodist Church. Though embraced by the British Conference,, it-has not only been;entrusted'with , control of- its own'affairs* but has also had. fullMegislative, authority, its enactments boing subject only to tho approval of. the parent'tribunal. -When its members decided upon union with the Metfco-' dist Church,, their desire Was commuuicatechto the British Conference, held in June,.'and its, sanction was given to a ' union on- tho proposed basis. ■ Approval of tho Proposal. The terms, of tho amalgamation were unanimously commended to tho independent conferences held last-'. year by tho joint, committee, appointed to formulate .them. This basis having beien approved by both conferences, arrangements were made ; to accomplish the union. During the past year .the proposal has been submitted: to /meetings' of members- of. the Primitive Methodist Church.. A total of 1743' votes'were .made upon it, and of theso'l477 were, in favour . of union,' 260 against It and . six'votes 'were informal. The majorityin favour, of union was 1217.' The> voting iii ,the Methodist Church was by quarterly'meetings,'and'a more, .grati-. fyingi reception, could; not havo been anticipated. Of : ; 11U persons present when thp'.vote was'taken; 1358 voted for union, and only 11 against,' 42 remaining neutral. Tho Church is divided into '119 circuits, and in no feiyei than, 93, ■ among which w«ro the largest ! circuits, ! there \ was a unanimously favourable v<ite. ,"our people have voted heartily, in favour of union," the president of', the-:,. CJinrch remarked. "It is not because ..they(are weary of our principles, our .-pblicy, 1 : or .our progress, nor on . account ;of afty weakness,- financial or.' .spiritual,-.- 1 .bßtv' .becauso -. they qeo' that the separate'organisa-, tion havo'ceSsed.to 1 -'<fcxist,vohd' cannot be justified*" •• • " \ -. : 1 ' ■ . First United Conference. i •Tho final separate conference, pf--tho two cliurch'es will bo held in Wellington on February 5.; They will deal with legal formalities preliminary ■ to the conclusion - the Ri\VrW. Beady>.of-tjie Methodist Church, and, the Rev. G, Knowles-Smith (Dunedin) of. the Primitive' Methodist Church, wilt deliver presidential addresses, and _ their ivill 'bo "elocted-fpr a- few hours occupation' of .the offices. ' Clergy . and laity forming. the two conferences >vlj ,assemblo again on the-following day, and march in procefiion to'somo v selected point in. the -city.\ Thert tho two processions will intermingle and march to the/Methodist Church in Taranaki Place, in . which the united conference will meet. The proceedings will be 'opened under the presidency of the Rev. H. Youngman, D.D. He will iiristal the president as soon as that officer is' elected by the conference. Prior to the election of a secretary and other ofTcers, a vice-president will be appointed. . Provision for . this officer is ono of tho principal features in the basis of union, for it is, an innovation in the government of. Mothodism. The president and'tho secretary arp to be ministers of 'the church, 'but the, vice-president must bo a layman.' Ho will bo elected annually, preside in the .'absence or at tho request of the president, , and his office entitles "him to, .distinguished' consideration during his year"of. .office;; but does not encroach in any way, upon tho functions of. the' president .'as . the Chief Pastor of tho Church, 6r ■ upon- the functions of the chairman of any district. . A public gathering will be; held in the Wellington Town Hall on . the evening of February 0 'for''.the'.'signature".of the deed of union. It'is hoped that his Excellency the Governor. . (Lord" Liverpool)' will pre ; side. Tho document will bo signed .by officers of 60 qf the-churches 'appointed by the', separate conferences. ! . ' Ministers and Property^., Jdnt; committees , ■ have been' engaged during the past year in preparing re- : commendations •,for the .. conference, regarding the adjustment of circuit boun- ' daries, and ' the utilisation of. church property now, < coining into joint possession. Their-reports will'bo coil- , sidered when tho conference resumes.foi i tho, transaction of : business. According tc ■ the latest', available returns, tho properties i of the two churchesNire of. a .total (cost] i value of '£515,277,' tfie. debt upon; them i being <£91,055' iu : 1911., '' Provision is made - in, tho basis of union for tho disposal of . superfluous, property. 1 ; Tho',; Methodist [ ChuVch has 14G ministers and probationers,' and. 5G home missionaries, and the s Primitive Methodist .Church 47 ministers ■ and probationers'and; six. homo missions aries. A. first draft of, stations will be t prepared; by tho Stationing Committees of f each church, and tiftprwards they will meet together-. arid prepare the second ) draft. " The "attendants on public, wor- , ship,, including., Sunday-school - scholars, i aggregate over 100,000. , 3 - ■' i . ' Missions, in-Celebration. J- A spiritual campaign has been organ ised: to : celebrate, the . eutrance of till " churches into independence and tho con i 'summation of their union. The Rev Vallance Cook arid' Mrs, Cook liavo beet engaged to conduct a' six months' mis sion. from May to October. They wil sail from England by the Orsova or Jfarch 14, and,'commencing in tho Soutl Island, -will conduct- four missions of h days each in'- Auckland,' Wellington Christcliurch,arid Dunedin, and nim missions of ten days each in. New Plv mouth,. Wauganui, North j! Napier,' Nelson,!. Blenheim,, Timaru 0 Oamaru, and Invcroiirgill. Mr. Cook i; a brother of the Rev. Thomas Cooki wh< " died recently while principal of Cliff Col lege, and who is'remembered as tho con f ductor of a 'remark-able evangelistic ca.ni paigu in New Zealand some 20 yoarts ago . Tbo principal missions will bo supple 0 mentcd by others in: smaller proviucia „ town's by tho Rev, A. E. Walker, con , nexional evangelist; of the New Soutl j Wales' Conference and tho Rev. V. W , Trigge, at present second minister in tin Jj Collingwood Mission, .whose services havi jl been, released ,by the Victorian Confer 0 ence. _______ .